1. Technical Field
The invention is related to computer-based data charting and graphing, and in particular, to a system for automatically animating transitions when changing from one chart or graph type to another and/or when changing data values associated with those charts and graphs.
2. Related Art
Computer-based charting and graphing software tools are well known to those skilled in the art. Such software tools are often used to generate data displays such as, for example, pie charts, bar charts, data graphs, etc. Conventionally, these types of software tools allow a user to select or enter one or more data sets, and then select a chart type for rendering a chart or graph display of that data. Then, whenever a user changes from one chart type to another, or whenever data is added or changed, a new chart is rendered and the original chart is simply replaced by the newly rendered chart.
One of the problems with simply replacing one chart with another is that the user doesn't really get a sense of how the data has changed, especially if those changes are subtle or if they involve multiple data elements (such as changes to several related bars in a bar chart). Further, since one chart simply replaces another (at computer display rendering speeds), the change is essentially immediate. Unfortunately, this type of abrupt change is often disorienting to users.
Another feature of conventional charting and graphing software tools is that data is entered, and then the corresponding charts and/or graphs are rendered as a function of the data. Changes to those charts and graphs are accomplished by editing or otherwise changing the underlying data, at which point these conventional software tools will render a new chart or graph corresponding to the newly edited data. Unfortunately, this feature is typically one-way. In other words, charts and graphs are changed by direct manipulation of the underlying data, while the underlying data is not changed by direct manipulation of the corresponding chart or graph.